Epstein was found dead in his prison cell in 2019, before he could stand trial. His death was ruled a suicide.
The two islands, Little St. James and Great St. James total 230 acres. Little St. James, the smaller of the two, contains a main residence, four guest villas, two pools, three beaches, a private dock and a tiki hut.
Great St. James island is largely untouched, only including a few small structures and a marine reserve. Epstein purchased Little St. James Island for $7.95 million in 1996 and Great St. James in 2016 for $22.5 million.
In 2020, US Virgin Islands officials alleged that Epstein continued to use the island to traffic underage girls – as young as eleven years old – until 2018. A lawsuit filed by the US Virgin Islands against the Epstein estate is ongoing. An attorney for the estate told The Journal that the proceeds from the sale will be used to satisfy that and other lawsuits, along with tax obligations and other creditors and claimants.
Roughly $121 million has already gone to Epstein’s victims through the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program, an attorney for the Epstein estate told the Journal.
A May 6th hearing is scheduled in the US Virgin Islands lawsuit.
In December 2021, Epstein's former girlfriend and confidant, Ghislaine Maxwell, was found guilty of sex trafficking and other charges in relation to her work with Epstein. She faces up to 40 years in prison, and sentencing is set for June 28th.
During her trial, Epstein’s former pilot, Lawrence Visoski, testified that he saw several politicians, including former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, as well as Prince Andrew, on Epstein’s plane, though he did not see any wrongdoing.
Epstein owned multiple properties across the nation, many of which have already been sold.